Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Martin Haydon has set out his position as negotiations on the 2027 budget begin.
As previously reported AgrilandThe Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) has been asked to find them Savings of up to 26 million euros Next year.
This comes at a time when Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers confirmed the fees that will be applied to government departments after excess spending on education.
The proposed tax to be applied to the DAFM is 1.3%, which means that the administration will have to identify a saving of €25.6 million for 2027.
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Fine Gael TD William Aird raised concerns about the proposed levy with Minister Haydon when he appeared before the Agriculture, Food and Marine Select Committee yesterday (Wednesday, June 10).
Minister Haydon said: “A tax has been referred by the Department of Public Expenditure for the year 2027 to all departments on the basis of the increased allocations required for education.”
“This figure has been put forward to departments in relation to negotiations for next year.
“But I want to be really clear here; I’m going to approach this budget process the same way I approached last year’s budget process.”
“I have my priorities in this department. I realize that if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority, so I need to pick and choose things.
“Last year, I was really clear. I had a TB action plan and it needed serious resources. I got those resources. That was a priority,” he said.
Minister Haydon said he received a 9% increase in the DAFM budget last year.
“I expect and anticipate that I will get an increase in this year’s budget for next year as well,” he said.
But the minister stopped short of setting his priorities for the 2027 budget.
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Minister Haydon assured Deputy Aird that the tax would not impact this year’s DAFM budget.
Deputy Aird asked the Minister if Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers wanted him to “go with a lower sum of €27 million next year to submit to the Department for Education”.
“As I begin budget negotiations, I have no intention of returning next year with less money than I had for this year, and everything is going well.
Haydon responded: “If I did, I would have done a bad job of negotiating. I’ll try to avoid that from happening. But I would tell you, I got a 9% raise last year.”
“I set the bar high for myself in terms of getting a raise for all of our agricultural sectors last year.
“I was able to achieve this increase in tuberculosis, protect the high rate of livestock payments, and have dedicated follow-up to the tillage sector,” the Minister added.
Deputy Aird told the minister he “wants a 9% increase on everything”.
“We’re not going to have a good year in agriculture. The tillage industry right now needs extra money, the price of milk is down, look what’s happening with beef.
“No one is making money from it,” he said.
